Let Them Sleep in Their Clothes Plus 9 other morning time-savers from real parents

Our Facebook feeds are overrun with stressed-out parents talking about the start of school and, gulp, the return to those hectic mornings with 98 bazillion things going on. How can you pack three different lunches, get yourself showered and dressed, brush a squirming toddler’s teeth and make sure your third-grader doesn’t forget his soccer gear all without a meltdown (yours and theirs)? Read on for 10 tips, including all the stuff you can do beforehand, from in-the-trenches moms and dads.

1. Prep breakfast the night before or over the weekend.

Got a bit of free time on Saturdays and Sundays? Bake a double batch of healthy muffins. Wrap them individually in foil, freeze them, and an easy breakfast is yours once you pop them in the microwave. Or cook whole-wheat waffles one weekend morning and again, freeze the leftovers. (You can serve them with yogurt and fresh fruit or peanut butter and honey if your children down syrup like it’s water.) I also know parents who make oatmeal in slow cookers. Stick all the ingredients in the Crock-Pot, turn it on, go watch Orphan Black and ta-da! Hot breakfast in the morning for you and yours. If your kids are fans of a bowl of cereal and milk, you can set out the bowls, spoons and cereal boxes the night before. Every second saved is, um, a second saved.

Look, I feel you. The last thing I want to do after a long-as-the-Appalachian-Trail day is more cooking, but make-ahead strategies do help. As one Facebook poster said, “Making lunch the night before is HUGE! Why it takes five minutes at night but 15 minutes in the morning, I have no idea.”

It’s becoming a theme here, but every parent who’s shown mornings who’s boss really does do plenty the night before. So get those backpacks ready. Make sure little kids have their schoolbag with a clean change of clothing in there. Older kids need to pack homework, any musical instruments/sporting gear for practice. If permission slips need to be signed, you can do that and put them in your child’s school folder at this time, too.

The ultimate goal is for your children to pack their own bags. School-age kids will really enjoy this Magnetic Calendar ($19.99 at Melissa & Doug), as they can note reminders for upcoming school, family and social events. Will your children remember things without you reminding them? Not at first, but over time, yes!

4. Choose outfits the night before.

If your kids are young and don’t care, you can pick out their outfits by yourself. If they like being involved in wardrobe decisions, get them to choose clothes with you. (You can check the weather together first. Kids are weirdly into weather.) You’ll save yourself a ton of time if you choose your outfit ahead of time, too, down to the shoes and jewelry. Bonus: This often results in your looking much more pulled together because you’ll dig out that lovely necklace you’re always too busy to look for at 6:45 a.m.

One mom says she puts her kindergartner to bed in comfortable school clothes at night. My 4-year-old’s pajamas are no different than his normal school outfit, which is a pair of “cozy” pants and a long-sleeve tee. So, hey, this idea is genius!

6. Stick to an early enough bedtime.

Mornings go much better if everyone has had enough sleep. Toddlers need 12 to 14 hours, preschoolers require 11 to 13, school-age kids do fine with 10 to 11, and teens need at least eight and a half hours! Adults should get anywhere from seven to nine, so don’t cheat yourself out of those precious z’s, either.

If you’re getting them on the bus and yourself to work with only seconds to spare, get everyone to wake up a bit earlier—at least until you get accustomed to the morning rush. Try adding 15 minutes extra time in, and see if that makes a difference.

Real Deal writer and mother of two Emma Johnson wrote an article on getting kids to do their chores, including cool reward charts. Image by Erin’s 2 CentsKids Chore Chart from Erin’s 2 CentsThe same can be done for each child’s morning must-do’s, such as taking their vitamins, brushing their hair and putting pajamas in the hamper. Even little ones who can’t read can check off from a list of visual chores (see here). And all kids would love to earn points for getting their stuff done, like blogger Erin at Erin’s 2 Cents.

9.Have breakfast on the go.

If you have a long drive to drop them off at school or daycare, one parent suggests feeding the kids breakfast on the way. A mini whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, banana and a glass of milk; a PB&J sandwich; scrambled egg in a tortilla; or yogurt and a muffin are all doable and filling.

One creative mom says she has her kids race each other, and the winner gets to pick what’s for breakfast. Or she promises a temporary tattoo to anyone who is dressed and has made his or her bed by 7 a.m. This assumes you are awake enough to be clever. (Solution: coffee!)

I know that I said I had 10 suggestions, but here’s one last thing. It’s not only about rushing around in the morning; it’s about savoring the moments, too, whenever you can. This is from one experienced mom: “Take a photo on the first day, every year.” Awww.

Andrea Pyros is a freelance writer and mother of two who lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Jess

As a child-free, single female, these are tips that I could use, too! I might skip the one about “sleeping in my clothes” but I could be better about getting more stuff done the night before instead of rushing around like a madwoman every morning.

RetailMeNot Editors

Our editor in chief dreamed she slept in her clothes and had to come to the office a rumply mess. So that tip might not work for adults, but the others probably would! Let us know how it goes!

Andrea

They say that making your morning work for you really impacts your whole day. I wish I could get it together to work out in the AM!

RetailMeNot is a registered trademark of RetailMeNot, Inc. Merchant trademarks are the property of the respective merchant and their presence does not necessarily mean that RetailMeNot, Inc has an affiliation with the merchant.